The Spurs’ final regular-season report cards

At the start of the season, we decided to give our report cards in three installments during the regular season.

The final installment appeared to be the hardest to navigate with a punishing road back-to-back-to-back which capped a run of eight games in the final 11 days of the season.

During that time Gregg Popovich reworked his rotation to accommodate new players Boris Diaw, Stephen Jackson and Patty Mills.

The team is surging towards the playoff with a 20-2 mark over the final third of the season. Their only true loss was a 98-84 home defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on April 11. The Spurs gained two revenge victories for that loss, handing the Lakers their worst two losses of the season by 21 and 24 points.

The Spurs also took a loss at Utah on April 9 when Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan stayed home.

The key players all receive some rest as the regular season finished and the Spurs are peaking as they head into the playoffs. We’ll be back with another grade after the playoffs, but here’s a look at how the Spurs graded out during the final third of the season.

The grades in parenthesis are their marks during the first two grading periods of the season.

Tim Duncan A (A-plus, C in first parts of season) – He scored in double figures in all but one game in the final third and notched seven double-doubles in the games. He struggled in the first game against the Lakers, but bounced back with two huge performances in the other games. And the Spurs’ captain has played like one of the league’s best center down the stretch, averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds on 59.2 percent shooting in April.

Tony Parker A (A-minus, A-plus in first parts of season) — His candidacy for post-season honors really picked up some steam down the stretch as he likely will receive Most Valuable Player consideration and selection among the All-NBA teams. Parker has taken over the team and become its on-the-court leader. He struggled in the Laker loss, but rebounded with two of his best games of the year in the remaining games against them. Parker’s numbers dipped a little as he rested late in the season, but he is finishing the best season of his career.

Manu Ginobili A-minus (A-minus and B-plus in first parts of the season) — Ginobili played his way back into shape and finally appears to be nearing the form before his recent run of injuries. He had a couple of turnover-prone games early in the trimester, but rebounded to have two critical games against Memphis and Utah where he was active and got to the line. That’s the kind of player he needs to be for the Spurs to have legitimate title hopes.

DeJuan Blair B-minus (C, C in first two parts of the season) — His playing time dissipated against the bigger teams the Spurs have faced and it likely won’t come back against those same teams in the playoffs. His rebounding dipped to 4.9 per game in April, even after a season-best 13 against Golden State in the final game. But when he had a chance to play, he scored 23 against New Orleans, 19 against Philadelphia, 15 against Cleveland and 22 against Golden State.

Danny Green A (A, A-minus in first two parts of the season) — Green kept his starting position even after Ginobili returned, responding with the best consistent play of his career. During the final third, Green averaged more points in fewer minutes than any time in his career. Most importantly, his defense remained strong and his shooting was at career levels as he hit 52.5 percent from the field and 56.1 percent of his threes during April.

James Anderson B-minus (D, D in first two parts of the season) — He likely won’t be back next season, but showed flashes when playing time opened up at the end of the season. If he had a couple more of those 14-point quarters we saw against Golden State Thursday night earlier in his career, it might have turned out differently.

Matt Bonner C (B-minus, B in first two parts of the season) — He struggled through a shooting slump early in April, but provided perhaps the most memorable dunk of his career during the third. He also provided with some strong defensive plays as it seemed like the team wasn’t relying as much on his shooting as before.

Derrick Byars I (wasn’t on team) — Played in only two games, but showed a ready if somewhat streaky shot and isn’t afraid to try to take a charge.

Boris Diaw B (wasn’t on team) — Versatile player who can help the team in a lot of ways. He showed a nice perimeter range — he’s hit his last eight 3-pointers — and has been a quick study of the Spurs’ team defense. His rebounding and assists will always be there. Diaw still passes the ball too much, but will be a big part of any title run.

Stephen Jackson B-minus (Incomplete second part of the season) — He struggled finding his shooting touch and his conditioning lagged after joining the team. But his willingness to hustle and play defense makes him a popular teammate after only six weeks with them.

Cory Joseph I (D, D in first two parts) — Spent most of end of the season running the point for Austin in the D-League. That move will be more advantageous for him than sitting on the bench with the Spurs.

Kawhi Leonard B (B-plus, A-minus in the first two parts) — His offense appeared to hit a wall late as he failed to hit double figure in eight straight games, shooting 42.5 percent during that period. But his scoring picked up and his defense and rebounding have been present since his first game.

Patty Mills A (first grading period) — His playing time will be limited playing behind Parker, but if shots are available it’s clear he’ll make them. He went for back-to-back career games in the final two games of the season and showed he can run the offense. But he’s also been productive in limited playing time when playing with the Spurs’ full roster coming off the bench.

Gary Neal A-minus (B-minus, B in first two parts of season) — As he’s recovered from earlier injuries, Neal appeared to be approaching his form of late last season with 12 double-figure scoring games in his last 19 games. His perimeter range is sizzling as the season concludes with 73.3 percent in his final 15 3-point attempts. And he also appears to have more confidence running the point.

Tiago Splitter A (A, B-plus in first two parts of season) — Splitter’s defense and rebounding have been strong throughout the season and his shooting has really picked up late. Two of his least effective games were his starts against the Lakers. He hit 67.1 percent from the field and averaged 9.5 points per game during April, including 26 points against Phoenix in the next-to-last game of regular season.

Gregg Popovich A-plus (A-minus, A in first two parts) — No coach understand the rigors of coaching after the lockout. Popovich is concluding perhaps the best coaching job of his career as he’s masterfully juggled minutes, playing rotations and injuries all season long. The Spurs’ late closing rush should earn him his second NBA Coach of the Year honors.